ripvanwinkle
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Post by ripvanwinkle on Sept 4, 2019 22:39:18 GMT -5
Just heard on the local TV news that the Oregon AFL CIO Union are getting together a ballot measure to restrict the number of self check out stations a store can have to 2 self checkout stations. I like the self checkout. I usually only have less than 10 items. Faster.
The Oregon AFL CIO President said - “The wide scale use of self-checkout machines in our state’s grocery stores is part of a deliberate corporate strategy that relies on automation to reduce labor costs and eliminate jobs. It disproportionately impacts workers of color. It disadvantages and inconveniences customers, especially the elderly and people with disabilities.[ii] That is why we are putting this issue on the ballot, to send a message to corporate America and to let Oregon’s voters have their voice heard on how we shop for the goods and commodities that our families rely on.” I'm dislike unions. I belonged to a union once. It was a company union. Whatever the company wanted to do was okay with the union. I wonder who the unions will go after next? How about the road construction industry? They use machines that do the work of many workers. Limit the number of backhoes used? Maybe give the workers more shovels instead of a road grader? How about going back to using pen and paper instead of computer? The computer made a lot of file clerks obsolete.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Sept 4, 2019 23:09:30 GMT -5
I can't stand the self check-out stations. It usually takes much longer, as they usually start beeping and tell me to get in touch with the service personnel. Besides, it's not my job to figure out the codes for the vegetables and how to enter the items on sale. It's the store's job.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Sept 4, 2019 23:14:25 GMT -5
I've posted about this before, but I don't do self check-out. If a company wants me to do the work of figuring out their system, and bag my own items, they can give me a discount. Since I don't get any discount, I let an employee do the work.
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crazycat
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Post by crazycat on Sept 4, 2019 23:19:55 GMT -5
I don’t do self check out either . They take away jobs .My family is a proud union family . We try to buy US made whenever we can . The union - UFCW has been very good to us .
YMMV
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Sept 4, 2019 23:30:01 GMT -5
I've posted about this before, but I don't do self check-out. If a company wants me to do the work of figuring out their system, and bag my own items, they can give me a discount. Since I don't get any discount, I let an employee do the work. ^^This^^ It's like going to a fast food place and making your own fries. Sure, I can do it, but don't charge me the full price.
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mollyanna58
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Post by mollyanna58 on Sept 5, 2019 0:47:00 GMT -5
I was in Target on Saturday, during the mid-afternoon, and the only registers they had open were self check-out. Not the first time that I have seen it in this particular store.
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Cheesy FL-Vol
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Post by Cheesy FL-Vol on Sept 5, 2019 5:25:16 GMT -5
We are out of town visiting with family and we stopped at a local store to pick up a cake. One item. They only had two staffed registers open and 6 self-check open.The staffed registers had really long lines. We were pissed to find out that you have to have one of those store discount cards to use the self check registers. How stupid is that?
Home Depot is only self check in our area at home. The only staffed registers are at the Pro area of the store!
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Sept 5, 2019 6:29:39 GMT -5
I avoid the self checkout because I want to support local jobs, but it's ridiculous to pass laws to ban them. That will go over about as well as the attempt to ban large fountain drinks in New York did. The union would be better off negotiating for things like retraining for displaced workers, reasonable leave time, and a 40 hour work week for exempt staff.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Sept 5, 2019 6:50:22 GMT -5
I prefer the self check out. I've never had to get a sale price changed. I'm not trying to wait longer to be checked out than it took me to find my items. I'm often stopping after work. Time is very precious to me. I need to get home, make dinner and get on with everything else on my list for the evening. And I can also bag my items the way I want and nothing is smashed.
My closest grocery store has barcoded stickers on most produce now. Until last week my nephew worked there and was often the clerk working the self check stands.
Maybe if all cashiers were Aldi level efficient I'd be willing to use them.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Sept 5, 2019 6:53:26 GMT -5
Oregon must be the anomaly...having lots of workers and no jobs available for them. In my parts, it's pretty much the opposite..lots of openings and not enough workers. I'm guessing it's like that all over. And they still have workers monitoring the self check out lane...usually at a ratio of one worker for every four self-check out lanes.
I despise those self-check outs, espeically at one local grocery store chain. If you breathe too hard on the self-check out machine, it thinks you have bagged items you haven't paid for, and then you have to get a worker to come, clear it out, etc.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Sept 5, 2019 7:05:45 GMT -5
I get really pissed off when I have to get out of my car to pump my own gas since it takes away jobs too. But no such thing as full service for years and years now.
I used self check out if I have a few items that have bar code. But if buying fresh produce I get in line with clerk. I use self check out mainly because I am a "light" shopper with a very few items. I hate getting behind someone who has tons of stuff and then their CC/DC/EBT card gets denied or they wait till 900 items are scanned and they are fucking surprised that they have to pay for it and start digging around for payment method.
I guess I'm a kinda "get out of my way shopper" not in store for any reason except to get my stuff and get out. Oh, and I also shop early Sunday mornings so not as busy.
But in the same vain I don't know why they have several clerks to "man" the self check out- just open a cash register with those folks. Seems like the same number of clerks anyway - some operating cash register and others just standing around self check out to help folks. So wonder if jobs really lost.
I've never been in any store that ALL registers were open anyway.
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Sharon
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Post by Sharon on Sept 5, 2019 7:24:18 GMT -5
I get really pissed off when I have to get out of my car to pump my own gas since it takes away jobs too. But no such thing as full service for years and years now.
I used self check out if I have a few items that have bar code. But if buying fresh produce I get in line with clerk. I use self check out mainly because I am a "light" shopper with a very few items. I hate getting behind someone who has tons of stuff and then their CC/DC/EBT card gets denied or they wait till 900 items are scanned and they are fucking surprised that they have to pay for it and start digging around for payment method.
I guess I'm a kinda "get out of my way shopper" not in store for any reason except to get my stuff and get out. Oh, and I also shop early Sunday mornings so not as busy.
But in the same vain I don't know why they have several clerks to "man" the self check out- just open a cash register with those folks. Seems like the same amount of clerks anyway - some operating cash register and others just standing around self check out to help folks. So wonder if jobs really lost.
I've never been in any store that ALL registers were open anyway. Move to Oregon and they pump the gas for you.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Sept 5, 2019 7:25:45 GMT -5
We have a full service gas station in my town. It does cost more but I use it when the windshield is really bad or when it's extremely cold.
I don't like self-checkout. It has taken away jobs. I only do it as a last resort.
I'm totally spoiled because the grocery store where I take dad takes your groceries to the car and puts them in. Now I expect it when I go other places and they don't do that. At one, I have to ask for them to put the bags in the cart so I can push the cart to my car to load the groceries.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Sept 5, 2019 7:32:15 GMT -5
We have a full service gas station in my town. It does cost more but I use it when the windshield is really bad or when it's extremely cold. I don't like self-checkout. It has taken away jobs. I only do it as a last resort. I'm totally spoiled because the grocery store where I take dad takes your groceries to the car and puts them in. Now I expect it when I go other places and they don't do that. At one, I have to ask for them to put the bags in the cart so I can push the cart to my car to load the groceries. We have stores here that will take groceries to car - they always ask!
And Sharon I knew they pumped gas in parts of Oregon and New Jersey too!! I've been pumping mine for so long if someone came up to my car window in gas station I would think they were going to rob me
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Sept 5, 2019 7:35:35 GMT -5
I've never been in any store that ALL registers were open anyway. My grocery store opens them all when they are calling for snow. It never fails - if 1/4 inch is predicted, everyone in the community rushes to the grocery store to buy milk and bread, and even having all the cash registers open can't handle the mad rush.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Sept 5, 2019 7:55:09 GMT -5
I've never been in any store that ALL registers were open anyway. My grocery store opens them all when they are calling for snow. It never fails - if 1/4 inch is predicted, everyone in the community rushes to the grocery store to buy milk and bread, and even having all the cash registers open can't handle the mad rush. They might do that here for hurricanes but I would rather chew off my right arm than go to store then. But it’s just me and I can make do with what I have. If in cone of Cat 3 I’m outta here But if had small kids and such it would be totally different mindset.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Sept 5, 2019 7:58:43 GMT -5
A couple of thoughts on self-checkouts:
1. The idea that "you're doing the work so you should get a discount" seems to ignore that the "discount" you're getting is that you use it because it's faster. It's not akin to making your own fries at McDonald's, in fact McDonald's already has the equivalent, you walk up and input your order on a screen yourself (my personal view is that the McDonald's ordering thing is slow and clunky, but I do like to use it because I have an indecisive wife and 2 small kids, and I don't like standing in the front of a line wasting people's time behind me). Yes, I'm doing some of the work, but I'm doing that work because it benefits me. Nobody is MAKING you use it in nearly any circumstance, people use it because they find value in it.
2. "It takes away jobs"...yes, it does...as does pretty much all technology. Online shopping takes away jobs, looking things up online takes away jobs, using a cell phone rather than a room full of operators takes away jobs.
I think the proposed legislation would be a lot more intelligent if, instead of fighting basic technology, it took the approach that ensuring a low-tech option exists is important. There are many people who are simply not sophisticated enough to use a self check-out. Pass a bill that says every store needs at least one in-person cashier, and that you need 1 actual person as a cashier for every X lines of self checkout available. That's the position to take to protect people who are elderly, have disabilities, simply aren't tech-savvy, etc. There's no reason to limit it to 2...a Wal-Mart with a billion cashiers can clearly support more than 2...and in many cases it means EVERYONE gets out of the store faster. Go shopping on a busy day, if you like having a cashier you'll get out of the store a lot faster if you can direct 80% of the people to self checkout and have fewer people in the cashier lines.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2019 7:58:53 GMT -5
I get really pissed off when I have to get out of my car to pump my own gas since it takes away jobs too. But no such thing as full service for years and years now. And that's what annoys me. I was in Ohio when this started and there were full-service and self-service bays with a small discount for self-service. Then full-service disappeared. [sarcasm font]But I'm sure that the gas price reflects a discount because you're pumping it yourself.[/sarcasm font]
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Sept 5, 2019 9:11:49 GMT -5
I despise those self-check outs, espeically at one local grocery store chain. If you breathe too hard on the self-check out machine, it thinks you have bagged items you haven't paid for, and then you have to get a worker to come, clear it out, etc.
Our local Wal-mart is like that. I especially love it when I'm buying light items and it insists I did not bag them even though I can see it's in the bag. Fine, I will click "no bagging" then. NOPE wrong answer because it knows something is in there despite five seconds ago insisting I did not bag the item. Then I have to wait for a checker to come clear it all out.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Sept 5, 2019 9:28:48 GMT -5
I can't stand it when I have a full cart of groceries and the only thing open is self checkout, and that happens fairly regularly. Otherwise, I use self checkout almost anytime I go in. I mostly use curbside pick up now though.
We ran into the store last night and I was shocked to see baggers at every one of the regular lanes. That hasn't happened in years. At most it's 1 bagger to 2 lanes.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2019 9:50:53 GMT -5
I use the self checkout lanes mostly because there are so few lanes at Walmart open. It really isn't that much faster. Shoppers are slower and more deliberate in scanning and bagging their own groceries. They, too, fumble around for their method of paying. The lines for the self checkout lines are as long as the lines for the regular lanes with cashiers.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Sept 5, 2019 9:54:05 GMT -5
I like self checkout if I just have a few items. If I have 1/2-a full cart, give me a cashier. If you have too many items, the machine is going to refuse to proceed b/c it can't calculate the weight of something.
I don't mind looking up the codes for produce or bakery, but if I am using self checkout, it is b/c it is my faster option. If I have to do too much, it will not be faster, and I want to use a cashier then. As Giramomma said, our local grocery store chain (which I pretty much prefer) usually just has a few manned checkout lanes, and then they have at least 6 -8 self checkouts with one employee monitoring them. If you need an employee, it will not be faster than waiting in line for a cashier.
Home Depot - and Target self checkouts usually go pretty well for me. I don't mind using them there. They seem to have the ratio of self checkout stations to employees at a decent ratio.
I pretty much agree that they should mandate that stores have self checkouts, or that they have a certain ratio of employees to self checkouts.
I think unions have their place, but I don't agree with what they want in this instance.
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Sept 5, 2019 10:18:20 GMT -5
I think unions have their place, but I don't agree with what they want in this instance.
At times common sense flies out the window ..... and I think this is one of those times.
Technology is here to stay, and jobs evolve to develop and support it.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Sept 5, 2019 10:42:58 GMT -5
We have a full service gas station in my town. It does cost more but I use it when the windshield is really bad or when it's extremely cold. I don't like self-checkout. It has taken away jobs. I only do it as a last resort. I'm totally spoiled because the grocery store where I take dad takes your groceries to the car and puts them in. Now I expect it when I go other places and they don't do that. At one, I have to ask for them to put the bags in the cart so I can push the cart to my car to load the groceries. We have stores here that will take groceries to car - they always ask!
Where I take dad, they don't ask to take the bags to the car, they ask if you are ready to go to the car and they follow me. I have not seen any curbside pick up. There is probably that if I put in my order online but I have not tried that.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Sept 5, 2019 10:50:56 GMT -5
I prefer the self check out. I've never had to get a sale price changed. I'm not trying to wait longer to be checked out than it took me to find my items. I'm often stopping after work. Time is very precious to me. I need to get home, make dinner and get on with everything else on my list for the evening. And I can also bag my items the way I want and nothing is smashed. My closest grocery store has barcoded stickers on most produce now. Until last week my nephew worked there and was often the clerk working the self check stands. Maybe if all cashiers were Aldi level efficient I'd be willing to use them. ^^ all of that. but the bold is the primary reason I prefer self check-out. the produce doesn't really bother me, most of the items have stickers with the numbers right on them anyway.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Sept 5, 2019 10:52:06 GMT -5
We have stores here that will take groceries to car - they always ask!
Where I take dad, they don't ask to take the bags to the car, they ask if you are ready to go to the car and they follow me. I have not seen any curbside pick up. There is probably that if I put in my order online but I have not tried that. I should have said they ask me if I would like help getting groceries to car instead of just taking cart and heading out the door without asking first. Not talking about curb service. Just normal shopping. Like in the olden days I decline since able to to it myself and that might be the most exercise I get that day - lifting stuff from cart to trunk. Now or if they want follow me home and put the crap up for me I’ll rethink things.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Sept 5, 2019 10:54:59 GMT -5
We have stores here that will take groceries to car - they always ask!
Where I take dad, they don't ask to take the bags to the car, they ask if you are ready to go to the car and they follow me. I have not seen any curbside pick up. There is probably that if I put in my order online but I have not tried that. the grocery store I worked at back in HS was like this. I don't think they still do, at least not the location that was near my old condo.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2019 10:57:42 GMT -5
Our grocery stores don't have self-checkouts except for Walmart which I avoid like the plague anyhow. I do use the self check out at Target and it always works really slick for me, especially when I only have one or two items and don't want to wait in line. My favorite though is the scan and go at Sam's Club where I just scan the items with my phone as I throw them in the cart, pay with the credit card stored in the app, and just leave. I like that it keeps a running tally of my total and I'm a lot better about putting things back going this route. Before I would just cross my fingers at the checkout and hope it wasn't too bad.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Sept 5, 2019 11:01:49 GMT -5
I prefer the self check out. I've never had to get a sale price changed. I'm not trying to wait longer to be checked out than it took me to find my items. I'm often stopping after work. Time is very precious to me. I need to get home, make dinner and get on with everything else on my list for the evening. And I can also bag my items the way I want and nothing is smashed. My closest grocery store has barcoded stickers on most produce now. Until last week my nephew worked there and was often the clerk working the self check stands. Maybe if all cashiers were Aldi level efficient I'd be willing to use them. Same. I don't want to stand behind a person couponing or writing a check. I have things to do and they don't include waiting for others to get it together. I also buy online and pick up when I can. It's faster and I'm less likely to buy things that I don't need. I do wish that those that aren't smart enough to figure out the self checkout machines would step aside and let the rest of us get on with our day. I've never been to a store that only had self checkout as an option. Go wait in the line for the ones being manned by an employee if you can't figure out how to do it yourself.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Sept 5, 2019 11:07:20 GMT -5
... Technology is here to stay, and jobs evolve to develop and support it. Technology is simply tools developed by humans, something that has been around for thousands of years. Yes it is here to stay. And there are jobs that are created to develop that technology and jobs to support making those tools function properly. But there are a lot of jobs that it has been determined will use those tools to accomplish tasks that human beings desire to have done. We, as human beings, have the power to determine which if any tools we will use to accomplish tasks. Just because there is a tool developed does not dictate that it be used.
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